China Southern unveils ‘Vitality Bay Area’ special livery on Airbus A350 for 15th National Games of China
September 22, 2025
China Southern Airlines has unveiled a striking new special livery on its Airbus A350, registered B-308T, to commemorate the 15th National Games of China. Dubbed ‘Vitality Bay Area,’ the livery debuted with a celebration on September 19, and flew for the first time from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to Beijing Daxing.
#GBAPulse A special aircraft livery for the 15th National Games was be unveiled today. The custom-painted Airbus A350, operated by China Southern Airlines, took off from Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on its maiden flight to Beijing Daxing. The design features elements… pic.twitter.com/RJvspCo17Q
— China Daily Hong Kong (@CDHKedition) September 19, 2025
China Southern’s newest special livery: a full-fuselage design in 48 colours
The A350’s exterior paint scheme depicts the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area alongside global landmarks, which are visually connected by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Sixty-five engineers worked over 17 days to create the 48-colour livery, using advanced projection and flattening techniques to reproduce the complicated design across the aircraft’s curved fuselage.
The airline also decorated the aircraft’s interior with the theme added to decals on the overhead bins and printed antimacassars for seat headrests.
The 15th National Games of China
The 15th National Games, scheduled for November 9–21, 2025, marks the first time Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao will jointly host the event. It is also the first time Hong Kong and Macao will serve as official hosts, which inspired China Southern’s “Vitality Bay Area” theme. The landmarks and mascots incorporated in the design reflect the cultural and economic integration of the Greater Bay Area.
Hong Kong Co-Hosts China’s 15th National Games
— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) August 28, 2025
Calling all sports enthusiasts📣 For the first time, Hong Kong will join Guangdong and Macao to co-host the 15th National Games – China’s biggest and most important multi-sport competition from November 9 to 21. Hong Kong will also… pic.twitter.com/1QzVETQnIy
An A350 and a COMAC C919 outfitted for the games
This A350 is the first aircraft to carry the Games theme. A second aircraft, the domestically built COMAC C919, is also being decorated with a commemorative livery and will enter service ahead of the Games’ opening in November.
China Southern plans to operate more than 300 themed flights during the National Games. The airline will provide flights for athletes, officials, and spectators. The themed aircraft will operate on routes including Guangzhou–Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou–Hangzhou, Shenzhen–Beijing Daxing, and Shenzhen–Shanghai.
China Southern’s tradition of special liveries
The “Vitality Bay Area” A350 continues China Southern’s tradition of using special liveries to promote regions, events, and cultural heritage. A few of these include:
- Wings of Dreams: Introduced in 2013 on the full Boeing 787 fleet, this special livery was designed by John Hull at Teague. The theme features an Egret’s blue and white wings along the sides, rising into the CZ tail.
- Guizhou livery: In 2019, the airline repainted a pair of 737-800s into a livery to celebrate Guizhou. The theme reflects the traditional batik, a local dyeing process, and features Mount Fanjing and Huangguoshu Waterfalls.
- Guangdong Lychee: Introduced in May 2020, the airline’s Airbus A330 registration B-887 is painted with a Lychee-inspired scheme, celebrating the export of Lychees from Guangdong.
- China International Consumer Products Expo: In 2022, China Southern Airlines decorated its Airbus A321, registration number B-1625, with a special theme marking the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) theme. The livery employs more than 70 bright colours. It features images of the expo’s three ‘Industrial Gibbons’ mascots—‘Farmer Gibbons,’ ‘Diver Gibbons,’ and ‘Astronaut Gibbons’—on both sides of the fuselage.
The new National Games livery stands out for its multi-regional theme, linking three jurisdictions—Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao—and incorporating both domestic and global landmarks into one bright, joyful and cohesive visual narrative.
